Dozens of Canadian Indigenous communities under boil-water advisories one year into pandemic
As of March 2021, Canada’s Liberal government officially failed to meet its five-year, self-imposed deadline to lift all long-term drinking water advisories in First Nations reserves across the country.
More than one year after the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, dozens of Indigenous communities across the country continue to lack drinking water, making it impossible for residents to follow basic hygiene measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and combat other infectious diseases.
Neskantaga First Nation in northern Ontario has been under a “do not consume” water advisory for 25 years. (Photo credit: Safe Drinking Water Foundation)
Bad Water Sickens First Nations. But Government Doesn’t Track the Toll
Data to identify and fix problems don’t exist. The ‘black hole,’ say critics, lets feds off the hook. A special report.
Annie Burns-Pieper 22 Feb 2021 | The Tyee / Institute for Investigative Journalism
Annie Burns-Pieper is an award-winning investigative reporter and the managing editor of the Institute for Investigative Journalism. She has contributed to the Globe and Mail, CBC, CTV, Global News, the Toronto Star, Al Jazeera and the Guardian. SHARES After residents from Neskantaga First Nation were evacuated over hydrocarbon-tainted water last October, Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa holds up a collected sample at a rally in Toronto.